October 8, 2001
CYBERCOLUMN:
In our town
___By John Duncan
___I’m sitting here under the old oak tree, musing about the madness of the world and watching the world go by. In our town, life leaps.
___In our town recently, CNN became the channel of choice as terror struck like lightning. Eyes were riveted to television sets from the local school administration office to the highschool, from the local car wash to homes near the lake. A small airplane made an attempt to fly, only to be greeted and grounded by two F-16s in a matter of
JOHN DUNCAN
minutes. A little girl climbed into her bed that night and announced, "I’m scared."
___ Life forever changed but soon began to roll again like the slow turn of a water wheel. Pam’s Coffee Shop resumed its service by offering the $2.99 special of eggs over-easy and fluffy homemade biscuits. On the soccer field, 7-year-old Caleb scored a goal. His dad never said much, but his mother leaped in excitement and spilled her soft drink on nearby fans. Wal-Mart’s business picked up, with customers stocking up on dry goods and staple goods sure to survive in a crisis. The local funeral home had along morning procession, or mourning, if you prefer. It seems one of the saints in a nursing home died quietly, somewhere between a Ppresidential speech and a report on the Taliban.
___ In our town, the high school prepares for an enthusiastic week of homecoming. Prospective queens drove to the big city to purchase dresses and high heels fit for a queen. The homecoming parade left much to be desired, but the fireworks display afterward illuminated the starlit sky. Hopes still blossom that the football team can win a homecoming game for a change.
___ In our town, a friend lost his job with American Airlines. A mother e-mailed and said, "Pray for my son." Seems her son sent her an e-mail detailing his cherished love for her while at the same time declaring love for his country and penning succinctly that his family would not hear from him "for a long time." His ship set sail for deep seas loaded with missiles, guns and cat-quick jet fighters anxious to zip across enemy skies. A mother shed a tear.
___ In our town, gas prices are down with the stock market, but United States flags are up--everywhere. One neighborhood lined their streets with American flags. The neighborhood network sent out a warning to bring the flags in at night because flag thieves roamed clandestinely. Flags are up and so is church attendance. One church reported a record-breaking attendance on a recent Sunday. Rumor had it that locals flocked to churches like swarms of bees. Rumor also had it that preachers delivered sermons full of good news and that it was refreshing like the sweet scent of pollen from a flower. One lady admitted, "I ain’t been to church in years, but I just couldn’t stay way after the mess." Most everyone understood "the mess." An elderly man shared with his pastor, "The worship service made me cry." Grown men haven’t dripped tears from their eyes in church in years. Women know how to cry, but men are learning. The local shrink says that tears are "therapeutic," whatever that means.
___ In our town, a parent confessed a broken heart over Ground Zero, dust-covered streets in New York, the horror of devastation in Washington, D.C., and threats to national security. Another shared relief, discussing over chips and hot sauce at the local Chili’s his phone conversation with a loved one who survived "just 150 yards from the plane crash at the Pentagon." I’m finding that national crisis makes the big world a small place.
___ In our town, progress keeps rolling. Home Depot raised its big, thick concrete walls, stirring enough dust to slow down traffic on the main highway. Speaking of highways, traffic’s been slow anyway because road construction continues, and just about everywhere you go some guy in a hard hat and an orange vest holds a sign that says either "Slow" or "Stop." A church made progress, too, by pouring its new foundation and hoisting the steel beams. The preacher talked about the progress on the community’s cable channel, saying, "And the foundation is Christ."
___Speaking of Christ, in our town, two people, a fortysomething man and woman, purchase cheap posterboard and make signs with magic markers. They stand beside the main highway and flash colorful homemade signs. One says, "Jesus is coming soon." Another praises, "Give glory to God." And another, "God loves you!" One guy stopps to offer money, but they refuse. "This is our ministry," they mutter. They don’t have much, but they know they’ve got Jesus, which ain’t too bad the way things have been going in our town.
___In our town, life meanders. Down at Your Image, hair stylists crank out haircuts and manicurists have been painting lots of fingernails. Rumor has it that the chatty hair salon talk is way up. Tension is up too. Worry is up. Fear is up. And it was exciting to see metal birds called airplanes up in the sky again. What’s up with you?
___I guess you could say that in our town, awareness of people is up too. One local man took the day off to spend time with his kids. A local physician decided he’d take a little more time with each patient. And the guy who changes oil at the gas station smiled at customers and acted like he really loved his job. Even his boss appeared surprised. A contagious smile pushes back clouds of darkness.
___In our town, I guess it would be safe to say we’re noticing things we haven’t noticed before. We’re looking at the stars and thanking God for buzzing airplanes. We’re cheering for our kids again on soccer fields and thanking God for snotty noses and Saturday full of kids zig-zagging on fields of green. We’re singing "God Bless America" and praying on courthouse lawns and thanking God for freedom of worship. We’re hugging the kids tighter, letting go of petty pride, and scratching and clawing to hang on to all we’ve got: a foundation of faith. "And the foundation is Christ," at least that’s what I heard the preacher sputter on the local cable channel.
___ Darkness hovered for awhile, but we’re starting to scratch out some light and joy. As the poet William Blake once said, "But he who kisses joy as it flies, Lives in eternity’s sunrise." Yes, that’s what we’re doing in our town. We’re kissing joy again. We’re applauding sunrise. After all, the joy of the Lord is our strength. His light rises.
___"And the foundation is Christ.’ Maybe that cable channel preacher is right. A fierce wind whipped into our lives several weeks ago, but the Foundation still stands. A storm showed up, but joy conquered. Light pierced the darkness.
___So kiss the kids. Pick up the phone and call your relatives across the country to say, "I love you." Slow down and visit with friends in Wal-Mart. Look up in the sparkling sky and give thanks. Fall down on your knees and pray to Jesus. Kiss joy. Watch the sunrise. Then remember, "But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him" (Habakkuk 2:20). Didn’t I hear that on the local cable channel? And what on God’s green earth did we ever do before we got local cable channels?
___ "Let all the earth keep silence before him."
___ John Duncan is pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas, and the writer of numerous articles in various journals and magazines
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